Kayla Green is completing her PhD this month at the SYNC Lab. She began with a bachelor’s in psychology, followed by two master’s degrees in neuropsychology, and will defend her dissertation on Thursday, October 31, 2024. “I’ve always been interested in the brain and behavior in general.”

I never thought I wanted to pursue a career in science. Not even when I started as a research assistant at the Brain and Development Lab at Leiden University. I mostly wanted to learn; I already found the content about the brain and behavior fascinating, but not long after, I also became interested in adolescence. Kayla explains. During her second internship, she gained valuable experience in the ‘Self-Image Project’ and the ‘Brainlinks’ project by Suzanne van de Groep, where she worked for two years. Eventually, she was asked to join Sophie Sweijen and move with Eveline Crone to Erasmus University Rotterdam. “I immediately said yes, not yet knowing exactly how I wanted to shape it, but I knew I wanted to do my PhD with Eveline. I didn’t want to leave the amazing team I worked with.”

Receiving the Spinoza Grant gave Kayla the opportunity to work with Eveline to develop specific research questions. “Eveline suggested follow-up research on the participants from the ‘Braintime’ study, a long-term project where young people aged 8 to 25 were followed for several years. By now, these participants had grown up; where had they ended up in society, and how were they doing? That’s when it became clear that wellbeing would be the overarching theme.”

Starting her PhD in January 2021, Kayla knew she would defend it by the end of 2024, which gave her peace of mind. However, that changed when Eveline asked if she wanted to defend earlier. With seven empirical papers, several already published, Eveline believed Kayla was ready. “At first, I thought, why would I do that? Are you crazy? It would mean less time to develop and write. After many conversations with different people, I finally thought, ‘How much more do I need to do?’ Then I fully committed.” Kayla shares enthusiastically.

The concept of a PhD and especially a dissertation is difficult for some people to understand, including parts of her family. “I had to explain to a few relatives that I wasn’t studying anymore Some don’t quite get what a PhD entails. I love to talk to them about my work though, because everyone I talk to has a different perspective on what young people need. I love that not everyone is the same, and it really helps me in my work. It’s nice to be pulled out of the ‘lab bubble’ sometimes.”

Her dissertation, “Becoming and Thriving in a Changing World: Socioeconomic, social, and neural determinants of wellbeing across adolescence and young adulthood,” focuses on young people growing up in a complex, fast-changing society and the impact this has on their well-being, with a particular focus on engaging underrepresented groups. This includes youth with bi- or multicultural backgrounds and those facing socioeconomic challenges. “In general, they’re less represented in research. There were so few young people who looked like me, which of course depends on location. There was more diversity in Rotterdam, but it’s still not representative. We need to do more to keep these young people involved in studies.”

Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, Kayla shows how such events have impacted young people, particularly those facing socioeconomic difficulties, who were hit harder in terms of well-being. “I hope people realize that adolescence is a period full of changes, which can make young people behave differently, but that’s okay! Most young people are doing fine, but some are struggling, and we need to keep paying attention to that. It’s not enough to just blame one thing like ‘social media,” Kayla explains.

Her dissertation also addresses youth participation and how research can be conducted in collaboration with young people, such as co-creating a new well-being questionnaire. This approach can also contribute to greater diversity in research. “We need to try to include a representative group of young people in our research. Even if we increase from 5 to 10 percent, that’s something! Most studies researchers cite come from Europe, the US, etc., but we need to ensure that studies from other regions are also considered.”

Her enthusiasm for her work is clear, as she loves the variety in her workdays and the impact she can have on society. “Don’t put me on two weeks of just writing, I love it when other tasks come up in between! Data analysis, management, giving presentations – these things help me better understand how young people are growing up in a complex society. I’ve learned so much, which has allowed me to write what I’ve written!”

After her defense, Kayla expects to quickly get back to work, but this time as a Postdoc with several priorities. “A lot of people say I should take a vacation after my defense, but I’m not sure if that’s necessary, maybe just a few days to recover. After that, you’ll find me back at SYNC with some exciting things on my list, like recruitment for GUTS and launching a new questionnaire with Albeda students!” Kayla says.

So, there won’t be much time for rest, as her mind is already buzzing with new ideas.